The Operational Procedures Development Workshop Training Course by The British Academy For Training and Development is designed to provide a structured approach to developing clear, practical, and controlled Operational Procedures for safe and efficient facility operations. The workshop focuses on converting operational requirements, risks, operating philosophy, and technical information into standardised procedures that support consistent performance throughout startup, commissioning, and routine operations.

As part of the Operations Readiness and Assurance Training courses specialisation and the Engineering maintenance and operation category, this course covers procedures, documentation, startup manuals, operating philosophy, work instructions, and operational controls. Participants will learn how to develop, review, validate, and maintain procedures that reflect actual operating conditions and support operational readiness, competency, safety, reliability, and continuous improvement.

• Understand the principles and lifecycle of Operational Procedures development.
• Translate operating philosophy and technical requirements into practical procedures.
• Develop clear and standardised operating instructions for different operational activities.
• Structure procedures and documentation for startup, commissioning, and routine operations.
• Apply risk-based thinking when developing operational procedures.
• Integrate safety, environmental, maintenance, and operational requirements.
• Develop effective startup manuals and operating instructions.
• Establish review, approval, validation, and document-control processes.
• Identify gaps, inconsistencies, and usability issues within existing procedures.
• Improve operational readiness through accurate and controlled documentation.

Target Audience

• Operations and production engineers
• Operations supervisors and managers
• Maintenance and reliability professionals
• Commissioning and startup personnel
• Operations readiness teams
• Engineering and technical professionals
• Process and facility engineers
• HSE professionals involved in operational procedures
• Document control and technical documentation personnel
• Project and operational assurance teams

Module 1: Fundamentals of Operational Procedures

• Definition and purpose of Operational Procedures
• Procedure lifecycle and governance
• Relationship between procedures and operational readiness
• Types of operational procedures
• Roles and responsibilities in procedure development

Module 2: Operating Philosophy and Procedure Requirements

• Understanding the operating philosophy
• Translating design intent into operational requirements
• Identifying operating modes and conditions
• Defining operational boundaries and controls
• Linking procedures to technical and process requirements

Module 3: Operational Procedures Development

• Procedure structure and standard formats
• Writing clear and actionable operating instructions
• Sequencing operational activities
• Defining prerequisites, actions, and acceptance criteria
• Incorporating safety precautions and operating limits

Module 4: Startup Manuals and Commissioning Procedures

• Developing startup manuals
• Pre-startup and commissioning procedures
• System and equipment startup sequences
• Normal and abnormal operating conditions
• Shutdown and emergency operating procedures
• Handover from project to operations

Module 5: Procedures, Documentation and Document Control

• Managing operational documentation
• Document numbering and revision control
• Approval and authorisation workflows
• Maintaining document consistency
• Managing changes to procedures
• Controlling obsolete and superseded documentation

Module 6: Risk, Safety and Operational Assurance

• Risk assessment in procedure development
• Identifying operational hazards
• Incorporating permit-to-work and isolation requirements
• Safety-critical operating procedures
• Emergency response considerations
• Assurance and compliance checks

Module 7: Procedure Validation and Field Verification

• Reviewing procedures with operations personnel
• Walkthroughs and practical validation
• Identifying gaps between procedures and field conditions
• Human factors and procedure usability
• Simulation and scenario-based verification
• Corrective actions and final approval

Module 8: Procedure Management and Continuous Improvement

• Monitoring procedure effectiveness
• Feedback from operators and supervisors
• Managing lessons learned
• Periodic procedure reviews
• Updating documentation after modifications
• Continuous improvement of Operational Procedures